Time switch



July 1928,

TIME SWITCH Filed Oct. 10. 1921 attoznw July 10, 1928.

J. G. H. LIEBEL ET AL TIME SWITCH Filed Oct. 10, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet z vwucnlou.

Patented Jul 10, 1928.

UNITED STATESFATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. B. LIEBEL AND -EDWIN S.

FLARSHEIM, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TIME SWITCH.

Application filed October 10, 1921. Serial No. 506,Q12.

, continuous or intermittent operations for the aggregate time.

This provides for a single exposure for a definite amount or a number ofexposures, aggregating a definite amount, and both limited to thedefinite measured amount established by the time setting. 'Theapparatus, therefore, cannot be injured by extended or over-exposurecontrol, nor accidentally affected'by the operator.

An object of the inventlon is to provide "an electric currentcontrolling time switch with manually actuated means for starting thetime mechanism and controlling the electric circuit for a measuredperiod. v

Another object of the invention is to provide for an automatic andnon-man ual interfering control of the electric circuit after operatinglapse of the switch timing mechanism for a measured duration oraggregated timing amount. 1

Ano her object of the invention is to pro-v vide a compact portable timeswitch for X-ray machines, one which canabe held in one hand of theoperator, with push-"button control-operative by the thumb.

' 's wit dh Another object of the invention is*to ,pro-' vide for both amanualand an automatic dircuit breaking operation, either of the'said Acylindrical plunger 10 has a sliding non- -rotatable fit within thebushing 6, .its lower 'end beingnormally flush with the lower end of thebushing, and its upper end extending An additional object isto-providefor a combined action of the manual and automatic circuitbreaking mechanism, wherein the circuit can be made and interrupted,manually and broken automatically at the end of a certain period oftime.-

" Other objects and certain adva'ntageswill be'disclosed inthe'description of the drawings, forming a part of this-specification, Aand reference is made to the drawings,'in which: l j a 1 is a frontelevation of,the complete and timing device. v Fig. 2 is a centralsection on line 2, 2,

. Fig. 1.

operations being performed independently of the other.

I Fig. 3 is a face view of the clock-work casing, showing the relationsof the tripping plate, to clock mechanism, and lever operated thereby.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View, similar to Fig. 2, showing the device incircuit closing position and illustrating a modified .form of trippingplunger. p p

Fig. 5 is a face view of the pawl-arm and ratchet-Wheel,- attached tothe timing mecha' nism outside of the clock-work casing.

Fig. -6 is a detail elevation, showing the relation of the trip-arm tothe notch of the L-slot of the tripping plunger.

Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 7, 7, F ig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a plan of the spring switch. Fig. 9 is adetail of a modifiedform of tripping plunger shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the, cam-ring. Fig. 11 is a centralsectional view, illustratingthe relation of the main shaft of the timingdevice to the ratchet-wheel, main drive I gear and clock spring forrotating said shaft. 1

The numerall designates a hollow cylindrical insulating casing, withinwhich the electric switch mechanism is mounted, having its topcounterbored to furnish'an interior'circumferential shoulder3, forseating a circular cover or cap 4. centrally bored at 5 for-thereception of the 11 per end of a tubular bushing 6, provide upper endwith a circumferential attachment flange 7, bearing against the insideface of the cap and secured thereto by screws. .The opposite endof thecasing 1 is provided-with screw threaded into the end of the casing 1.

through and above the opening 5 of the adjacent its ica tubularextension 2, forming 'a-hand-hold,

bored as at 11, and screw threaded for the reception of a headedscrew 12of insulating nrate'rial secured as a thumb piece for depressing theplunger and as an abutment for a compression spring 13, surrounding theV lunger 10, with its lower end within the re '5, and abutting the upperend of the :bushing- 6. Thg lower end of the plunger 10 is provided witha cylindrical bore 15 for the reception of a-reciprocable and rotatablecylindrical tripping plunger 20, within the no i lower end of which is asecond shouldered switch contact'plunger 21, the lower end of thesame'being provided with an insulating contact ca or base 22.

An ad itional form of plunger is shown in Figs. 4 and 9 wherein thesecond shouldered switch contact plunger 21 is eliminated, the plunger20 being of solid cylindrical' construction, and being provided with areduced extension 2%, at lower end. of which is placed the insulatingcontact cap 22.

The unger 2f is pressed downwardly by the action'of a compression spring23 and its downward movement is limited by a ring 24, within and at thelower end of the plunger 20, the r-ing-coacting with a shoulder 25, asan inwardly turned flange integral with the body of said plungerfid.

The plunger 20, nearv its. upper end, is provided with an outwardlyprojecting triparm 30, at the outer. end of which and dependingvertically therefrom is fastened a tripping plate or knife 31, having alower knife edge 32 for contact with the outwardly extending arm 33 of aspring actuated escapement trip lever 34, pivoted as at35 to aclockcasing 36, mounted within an annular insulating housing S'Q'jsuitahlyfastened at the side of themain casing l, with its central axis atrightangles to the central axis of the saidcasing A pressure is exerted upon.

the arm 33 of the escap'ement lever 34 by a spring 35 the springpressure tending to force the arm 33 toward the tripping knife 31. Upondownward movement of the'tripping knife, the'arm. 33 is engaged anddepressed thereby,'and the lever actuated to release the clock mechanismas hereinafter more fully,described.

The trip-arm 3Q traverses a relatively wide slot 8, (see Fig. 6) at thebottom of the bushing 6, the upper end 8 of the said slot acting as astop for limiting the upward or returnmovement of the trip-arm 30,.under certain conditions hereinafter described. A

The plunger 10-is held from rotation, and

its. reciprocative movement limited in both 4 greater width than, thewidth of the trip-' directions by the end of a set screw '10 en gagedthrough the bushing 6, the said end of the set screw projecting into avguide slot 10*, of the plunger 10. Placed in substan- 'tiallydiametrical relationto the'slot 10 and parallel to the same, is anL-slot-15,'through which the trip-arm 30 projects. Thelongitudinal'portion of the slot being of -slightly arm 30, to allowsaid trip-arm to enter-and to. be guided-therein after disen agementfrom the shoulder 15", as herein escribed. A spring 15",att'a0hed-atoneend.to-.,the-

flange-7 of the bushing fi, slidingly engages the trip-arm'through anop'ening therein and normally forces the said arm against the left side(see Fig. 6). into engagement with the .connected therefrom. plunger isin its retracted position, the trip nectedto the push plunger 10 by thetriparm 30, when the arm'is engaged with the "l shoulder 15 formed bythe L-slot 15, as shown in Fig. 6. The trip-plunger with its trip-armcan be freely oscillated within the push-plunger for disengaging the armfrom the shoulder 15, which will release the trip-plunger, allowing thearm and tripplungerto move freely longitudinally within the push-plungerfor an automaticelectric circuit opening control, while the pushplungeris depressed. The. release of the trip-arm and its plunger is effectedby the clock or timing mechanism, to be hereinafter described. Thetrip-plunger may be an electric switch element, or as shown,intermediate means may be employed between the push-plunger and electricspring switch for. actuating and controlling the electric switch foroperating as a l mit with the pushplunger when connected therewith, andfor operation independently thereof when dis- When the pusharm is inregistry with transversely extended portions of the l -slot, allowingthe trip-arm to be oscillated by the spring 15. which 9 snaps the armbeneath and in engagement with the shoulder 15', connecting the arm andits plunger with the push-plunger, so that when the push-plunger isdepressed, the parts operate as a unit for manually closing the circuitthrough the electric switch.

.As long as the parts remain connected, they can be reciprocated as aunit foran intermittent switch control for successively interrupting theelectric circuit controlled thereby until the parts have been disconnected by the timing mechanism. L

m The clock mechanism is mounted within the casing 36, and comprises acentral main shaft 40, having the usual spiral spring 41 119 attached toit, and to a casing spacing, and

casing fastening strut 42, the fastening and, action of the springbeingwell known in the art of horology. The trip lever 34 (see Fig. 3) has anescapement leverengaging notch'34, which normally engages the out,-

.turned end 45 of the escapement lever 45,

attached near one end of a shaft 46, and this shaft also carries thedetent 47 and usual counter-weight 48. .The clock escapement mechanism,comprising the escapement shaft or pivot 46, detent 47 and counter-.weight 48, all well known clock elements,

which when free oscillate-t0 alternately'engageand release theescapement wheel respectively, to stopand permit movement thegear'train'connected with the esc'apement wheel. The escapement lever.45 as an arm thin-cot; to obtain progressive movement-0Q .L.

"i fixed to the escapement'shaft and has its when the trip lever 34 isswung to a retracted position to disengage its notched end portion fromthe lug or projection of the escapement lever 45. The trip lever 34 isactuated and controlled by theknife 31 of the electricswitch controilingtrip plunger 20. 'When the knife 31 isdepressed'it will engagethe angleextension'33 of the trip lever 34, and rock the vertically disposed armaway from'the projection 45 .rt0 allow the escapement arm to' swing. {Assoon as the lmife 31 is withdrawn from its trip lever-engagement, thelever automatically swings to lug'engaging position and arrests furthermovement of the'escapement. The detent 47 engages the escapement wheel48, mounted upon the shaft 49. The shaft 49 is provided with a pinion50, which is operated through a gear train, composed of a gear 51,loosely mounted upon the main shaft 40, a pinion 52, and gear 53,rigidly mounted upon shaft 54,the,gear 53 meshing with the piniop 50 tocomplete the gear train At the right of the clock casing-36 (see 2) andadjacent, its outer face is a ratchet wheel 60, mounted upon a tubularextension 61, of a gear 51, (see Fig. 11) said tubular extension beingrotatively mounted upon the main shaft 40, the gear 51 and ratchet wheel'60, therefore moving independently of the shaft 40. Adjacent the outerface of the ratchet is a pawl arm 62, rigidly mounted on the shaft 40,and provided at its outer end with a spring actuated pawl 63, forengagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 60.

On the inner end of the shaft 40 is rigidly fastened an L-shaped lever70, .the outer horizontal arm 71 of which is terminated by' a knife.edge projection 72, which projection normally (see Fig. 3) lies belowand at one side of the tripping plate 31. To a projection of the hub ofthe pawl arm 62, and in a diametrical relation to said arm is fastened adial finger 64, slightly, spaced from a dial plate-65, having graduateddiyisions upon itsface, preferably. correspondmg to secondsof time.

The clock casing '36 is held from rotation by a rectangular stri'p'36'fastened 'at" the bottom of the housing 37, the notches 36 of the clockcasing plates engaging said strip.- The strip extends beyond the clockcasing, nearly to the outer edge of the housing 37, and the notch 75, ofa retaining and) cam-'Jring 76, engages the strip '36, to preventrotation of the ring, in a manner similar to that of the clock casing."The r taining'and cam ring 76 is provided upon its innercircumferencewith a cam 77, which is engaged by the end 63, of the pawl 63, todisengage said pawl from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 60. As the dialfinger 64,

approaches its' zero position, the outer notched end 62 of'the pawl armafter its release, and under the action of the spring 41, engages a stop78, formed at the end. of thecam 77, as a part of the retaining and camring 76, stopping the finger at or beyond the 'zero'mark, (see Fig. 1).The release of the pawl 63-from en agement'with the ratchet wheel 60takes pdace when the outer end of the arm 71 is spaced a certaindistance from the tripping plate 31, and

when the lower end of the arm 62 is spaced acertain distance from thestop 7 8,"so'that the entire propelling force of the spring is availablefor power shaft actuation to obtain increased speed and force ofrotation or kick-ofi' momentum, which results in positive, forcible andquick release of the trip arm 30 from engagement with the shoulder 15 atthe end of the desired timed interval between switch actuation andrelease. I

A spacing ring fitted within the boreof the housing 37 and restingagainst the dial plate 65, holds the saiddial plate against the cam ring76, and provides at its outer edge a seat for a transparent disk 81,placed against which is placed a circular diaphragm 90, having a centralopening 91 therein,-

through whichprojects the lower end of the plunger 21. The insulatingcontact-cap 22 normally rests upon the upper resilient spiral arm 92, ofa three-armed switch, 93, having additional resilientspiral arms 94 and95., placed below the arm 92, spaced and insulated therefrom and fromeach other and fastened to an insulating base 96, the terminal ofeacharm being fastened to the base by screws. which are provided below thebase 96 with nuts 97, for the attachment of-line wires 98,99, and 100,the said wires being suitably enclosed in a flexible insulating tubewhich extends through the hollow handle 2, having screw threadedengagement .with' thebore 2, the base 96, resting. upon aflange102,-formed at the upper end of said handle. The handle provides a-meansfor holding' the timing s'witcl-i-when desired, and a hook 103, is alsoprovided for engage ment over asuitable support. -Th'e;;'fopera y] otion of this timing switch is as follows: i

Although the switch may be operated independently of the clock timingmechanism,

' to bring the resilient spiral arms in contact to make the electricalcircuit, yet the use of the clock timing mechanism is more convenientand at times more necessary for accurate timing of the breaking of thecir- ,cuit as in the case of a photographic exposure, and in the lattercase the nut 83 is turned to set thedial finger fi l-over any one of thegraduations of the dial plate, with a resulting movement anddisplacement of the projection 72 of the L-shaped lever 70 to the leftof the tripping plate 31 (see Figs. 5 and 6).

The plunger 10 is then depressed and with it the plunger 20 and trippingplate 31, the

upward movement of the said plate 31 being prevented by the engagementpfthe tripping arm with the shonlder="l5, the am being ressed against theleft side (see 6) o roadened portion. of the slot, y

the spring 15 The cap 22 of the swit h contact plunger 21, during, thecontinued downward movement of the plunge'rs, successively causescontact hetw-een the spring arms 92, 9 2, and 95, to melre an electricalcircuit through the wires 98, 99,, ahd 106. Immediately after the springerms 92, 94 and 95 have made contact, the tripping plate also contactsthe arm 33 of the escape-rent trip lever 34 and disengeges its notch 34and releasing the said arm'fr in the shouih der 15*, at' which timethespring arms 92, 94 and 95 force the plungers 21 and upwardly, bringingthe tri arm against the upper end 8 of the s ot 8 ,hringing the trip mgplate 31 above and out of the path of t e projection 7 2 of the lever71. When,

the'arm 30 carrying the trip in plate 31 is released as above described:1: e escapement lever 34 is also'released, andthe arm 33 thereofraised'by the action of the spring and the notch 34 disposed to preventfurther movement of the escapement lever by engaging the outturned end45* of said lever. The end 63, of the pawl 63,

then engages the cam 77 to release the pawl from the teeth of ther-atchetwheel 60,

to allow the lower end of the pawl arm to engage the stop 78 and preventfurther rotation of the shaft 40 and L-shaped lever 71., Havingdescribed our invention, we claim:

1. In an electric circuit controlling time I trolling switch,- asectional plunger, the'sec- .tions cooperating unitarily' for manuallyclosing said switch and one section thereof releasable from tlie secondfor automatically opening said switch at the end of a timing period,clock mechanism for a timing switch control including a clock spring,gearing and ratchet means, the ratchet means connecting said spring andgearing, means connecting with said spring and rotated thereby adaptedto engage said releasable plungor sect on for effecting the switchopening at the end of a timing period, andi means for tripping saidratchet mechanism at theend of a timing period disconnecting the springand clock gearing for efiecting a spring release and utilizing its fullrecoil power for forcibly moving said plunger section for a switchopening while the second of said plunger sections is held depressed.

2. In a time control electric switch, an electric switch, manuallydepressibleswitch operating means having a member thereof releasablewhen depressed for automatic switch operation, at spring actuated geartrain, setting means for winding said tgain spring and setting saidtrain for movement through a selected time period, retainingmesns. forholding said'train in set position releasable by said switch operatingmeans, an arm operated Toy said train spring for moving said switchoperating member at the end of a'timing period, and means-fordisconnecting said spring and gear train at the end of a timing eriodfor releasing the spring whereby its 35in a device of the classdescribed, an

electric switch," manually actuatied means for closing said switch, aspring actuated gear train including a member rotated by the trainspring for effecting an automatic switch opening at the end of a timedperiod, and means connecting said sprin and gear train automaticallyreleasable, w ereby the full sprin pressure is transmitted to saidautomatic switch 5 In witness whereof, .we hereunto subscribemember or aforcible opening control.

OllI' names.

JOHN G; irLiiiBEL. nnwms. FLARSHEIM.

ull power is imparted to said arm.

switch, a self-opening electric circuit con

